TACURONG CITY (MindaNews / 30 July) — Authorities have called on the help of the public to curb “banlas” mining as the illegal operation has become widespread, spreading from the town of Tampakan in South Cotabato to Columbio in Sultan Kudarat.
Both towns are straddled by the controversial mining venture of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI), developer of the Tampakan project, the largest undeveloped copper and gold reserve in Southeast Asia.
The banlas mining operations in Sitio Datal Saub, Barangay Datal Blao in Columbio have destroyed some 15 hectares of the mountains there, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Region 12 (DENR-12) revealed Wednesday.
Atty. Felix Alicer, DENR-12 executive director, said a multi-agency task force conducted an operation two weeks ago to assess the illegal banlas mining activities in Barangay Datal Blao.
“The operation follows previous consultations with barangay and Indigenous Peoples (IP) leaders in response to river pollution reports from last year,” Alicer said in a statement.
In November last year, residents along Dalol River expressed concern after the water turned reddish from brownish, reportedly a result of illegal banlas mining.
Banlas or sluice mining, a highly-destructive mining method, involves the pouring of large amounts of water using high-pressure water jets on a mountain’s surface to loosen the soil and rocks and extract the gold ore, and then pan them with mercury.
Alicer confirmed that the illegal banlas mining activities have negatively affected the river, citing the alarming discoloration of the river as evidence of ongoing environmental degradation.
He said that the Environmental Management Bureau – Region 12 has conducted water sampling to investigate potential mercury contamination and establish baseline data for long-term monitoring.
The operation underscores growing concern over the illicit use of hazardous substances and the threat posed to the ancestral domain and biodiversity in the region, Alicer said.
According to him, the Soccsksargen Environmental Protection Task Force that conducted the operation discovered abandoned makeshift shelters and mining equipment, including hydraulic hoses, which were confiscated.
The task force is composed of DENR-12, EMB-12, Mines and Geosciences Bureau -12, and provincial and municipal environment officers. Security was provided by the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Police Office and the Charlie Company of the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion.
Sultan Kudarat Gov. Pax Ali Mangudadatu supported the efforts to curb the illegal banlas operation in Columbio town.
Banlas mining in Tampakan town was uncovered in April 2011 after three banlaseros were buried alive in a landslide in Sitio Bong Anten, Barangay Pula Bato, one of the villages within the Tampakan project of SMI.
The towns of Tampakan and Columbio share mountainous boundaries covered by the Tampakan project. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
0 Comments